Not So Fast? New Report Adds Surprise to Bill Belichick, New England Patriots Drama
FOXBORO — Have the rumors surrounding the New England Patriots and the “end of the Bill Belichick era” already begun to unravel? It appears that the reportedly impending split between the Pats and their head coach of 24 years may not be a “done deal,” after all.
On the eve of New England’s Week 15 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Belichick’s fate “has not yet been decided.”
“Sources say not only has owner Robert Kraft not come to a firm conclusion on what will happen next with his head-coaching situation,” Rapoport wrote, “but the way New England finishes could go a long way in determining what’s next.”
With the Patriots having been officially eliminated from playoff contention — their third such fate in the last four seasons — Belichick’s future with the franchise has been the subject of much scrutiny. At 3-10, they currently sit in last place in both the division and the conference. Unsurprisingly, the blame for such inefficiencies has fallen more on the shoulders of Belichick than anyone else in the organization — with fans and media alike ferociously clamoring for the eight-time Super Bowl champion's outright firing.
The speculation reached a fever pitch on Tuesday when NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran revealed, per a source, that Belichick’s fate was sealed after the Pats embarrassing 10-6 loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Frankfurt, Germany — a game which Kraft wanted to win “badly.”
“When they came out of Germany, conversations I had that week made it very clear that a decision was made," Curran said. "They were going to play out the string, and at the end of the year there would be a parting of the ways, for a variety of reasons.”
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft (left) shares a pregame handshake with coach Bill Belichick.
Cred: Boston Globe
Still, the latest report from NFL Network not only indicates that Kraft is still keeping his options open, but also that a strong end to the season may tip the scales in favor of retaining the 71-year-old for next season.
“If they beat the Chiefs on Sunday and run off a string of wins,” Rapoport wrote, “that could lead to the kind of hope and good feeling that can change minds and make an owner who believed his team should be a playoff team feel like it’s headed in the right direction.”
Still, the Patriots face a difficult decision within the coming weeks. Though the ‘status quo’ has justifiably become unacceptable, jettisoning one of the most successful head coaches of all time carries its own inherent risk. Of course, the same can be said for adding victories in the twilight of a lame duck season — wins which ironically would keep them from a top-three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Whether any of the aforementioned factors actually result in Belichick’s exit from the team is still a matter of conjecture. After all, until these reports become official, all details regarding his future ought to be treated as insightful speculation. At the very least, it would seem that a final decision has yet to be reached by the highest authority at One Patriot Place in Foxboro — nor is one expected in the next few weeks.
“Either way, expect a period of evaluation when the regular season ends, with no immediate conclusion on Belichick coming,” Rapoport concluded.
Meanwhile, Belichick will lead the Patriots into Gillette Stadium on Sunday afternoon for a 1 p.m. kickoff with the Chiefs. New England will wrap-up its schedule with road games against the Denver Broncos (Dec. 24) and Buffalo Bills (Dec. 31,) followed by a home matchup with the New York Jets in Week 18.
